# RS vs SDR

The clearest difference is price: RS at Free against SDR's $44.99. RS also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). SDR's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 2.2) and review sentiment (84% vs 43%). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

RS is free to download; SDR costs $44.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SDR holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SDR has 73 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of RS's written reviews are positive against 84% of SDR's.

## The numbers

| Metric | RS | SDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $44.99 |
| Rating | [2.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-m500/id1535899381/reviews) | **[4.6 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#125** |
| Size | 45 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ICOM INCORPORATED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193842631) | [Marcus Roskosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/334053438) |

## What reviewers say

### RS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rs-m500/id1535899381)

Control your IC-M510 VHF Marine Transceiver remotely via WLAN. Manage audio, channels, squelch, transmit power, and scanning functions. Supports intercom mode.

**Highlights:** Remote audio transmission and reception, Channel selection, Squelch level adjustment, Transmit power control, Scan function control, Dualwatch/Tri-Watch control, Intercom mode communication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdr-control-mobile/id1673327509)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Control your Icom radio remotely from your iPhone. View spectrum scope, waterfall, and access all radio controls over Wi-Fi or the internet. Supports various Icom models and includes features for ham radio operators.

**Highlights:** Spectrum scope and waterfall display, Full radio control, Remote operation over Wi-Fi/internet, FT8-Improved and JS8 modes, CW decoder and keyer, Speech transcription and translation, Logbook with ADIF import/export

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works perfectly with ICOM radios
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🌟 Feature-rich and comprehensive
- 💯 Stable and reliable performance
- 📱 Great for remote operation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels)
- 🐛 Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- 🐛 UI elements can be cramped on iPhone
- 🐛 Some buttons are small and hard to press
- 🐛 Frequency display overlaps buttons

**Reported bugs**

- Dialogs do not scale with larger text setting
- Frequency display overlaps buttons
- FT8 decoding issues (lower signal levels than WSJTX)
- App crashes and leaves radio in transmit
- Logbook export not functional after update

**Requested features**

- Develop for IC-7800
- CarPlay support
- Apple Watch add-on
- Windows version
- JS8call support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RS free?

RS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SDR free?

SDR costs $44.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RS or SDR?

SDR is rated higher. RS averages 2.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while SDR averages 4.6 from 73 ratings.

### Do RS or SDR have ads?

Neither RS nor SDR shows ads.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*
